


it's a bit dark in here

by youngjaemins



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, basically just fluff, dokun if you squint too, hyuckmin being chaotic, markhyuck if you squint, renjun being the panicked gay that he is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 10:33:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16911312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngjaemins/pseuds/youngjaemins
Summary: In which Wong Yukhei finds Huang Renjun inside the Art Laboratory's cupboard.(or I'm in art class and I just opened a cupboard to find a tiny person squished inside and they just looked at me and said “shh i’m hiding” au)





	it's a bit dark in here

Lucas is a tad late for his duty at the Arts Laboratory, not that there are tons of things to do but because Qian Kun – president of the Arts & Crafts Committee is so keen in monitoring the cleanliness of the room every 8 AM sharp. He doesn’t really understand why Kun makes this as his habit wherein fact this is basically what Lucas is supposed to do – make sure that the Laboratory is clean and spotless all the time.

  
Well, except for today.

  
He doesn’t see any trace of Kun instead he sees a boy, probably a year younger than him, standing near the shelf where the art materials are kept, his skin sun-kissed and his chocolate brown hair drenched in various wet paint. He was idly frozen for a good five minutes or so before he screeches in disgust or maybe horror. Lucas prays to God that the younger boy would stop flailing his arms because the paint is splattering _everywhere_. Oh boy, Kun is definitely going to kill Lucas for this mess.

  
“Have you seen Huang Renjun?” The boy asks, kind of muffled because of the paint he’s trying so hard not to taste on his mouth.

  
“I only know Wong though. Wong Yukhei, that’s me.” He answers, offering a sympathetic smile.

  
“The name’s Donghyuck, and I know who you are because the freshmen won’t shut the fuck up about you.” Donghyuck grumbles, wiping away the paint dripping on his cheeks but it only makes him look messier than he already is. And he might’ve seen the grimace on Lucas’ face because he suddenly stops and sighs in defeat. “Sorry for the mess, and as much as I would love to help you I also need to clean up myself.”

  
“It’s fine.”

  
_It’s not fine, but it’s practically what I signed up for so whatever._ Donghyuck waves his hand then walks past by him, leaving trails of his shoe prints on the wooden floor. This is going to be such a long day.

  
Lucas goes to lock the door for safety measures (read: so Kun can’t barge in unannounced and freak out) and he heaves a deep sigh. Before the paint would dry up, he rushes towards the storage room where the cleaning materials are hidden. He takes a basin near the sink, fills it with water and trudges his way towards the cupboard to grab a handful of towels.

  
It wasn’t that dark per se, the light bulbs weren’t just luminous enough to give Lucas a clearer view of what he was holding on to. But the moment he felt it move on its own accord, he screams. _No_ , they both screamed, facing each other with their eyes and mouth wide open in pure terror.

  
“What the actual fuck.” Lucas spats, yanking his hand away from the creature. “What are you, fuck I mean, who are you? What the hell are you doing inside this cupboard?”

  
The creature as what he likes to call it, makes a shushing sign. “Is Donghyuck still out there? Please, don’t tell him I’m here.”

  
Lucas could still remember the name Donghyuck has said earlier and he doesn’t hesitate to ask. “Are you perhaps Huang Renjun?” The creature nods meekly, and Lucas’ curiosity is piqued because he wants to know if Renjun had something to do with the wet paint. “Your friend, Donghyuck right? He went out to clean himself and no, I won’t tell him you’re hiding inside this goddamn cupboard if you will help me clean up the room.”

  
“Okay, just move to the side so I can get out of here.” He positions himself as if he’s going to jump out of the cupboard, and he did. He brushes off the dust on his clothes and turns to face Lucas who was in awe watching the short boy smiling at him timidly. “Shall we start cleaning?”

 

•

 

Renjun forcefully scrubs the wooden floor because apparently some of the paint have already dried up. Lucas, on the other hand, stops wiping the paint off and just flat out admires Renjun from across the room. The younger boy must’ve felt someone staring at him, so he spares a glance at Lucas who was still busy ogling at him.

  
“Is staring at me like a creep the only thing you’re gonna do? Like is that your only job?” Renjun grumbles, squatting on a dried area of the floor.

  
“Nope,” Lucas shakes his head, chuckling at Renjun’s worn out face. “I’m also assigned to make sure that the lab is squeaky clean, but I guess that’s not the case here.”

  
Renjun snorts, “Squeaky clean? Who even uses that word in this modern day? Anyway, look I’m sincerely sorry for this.” He points at the almost _squeaky clean_ wooden floor. “Donghyuck was just being a fucking loud mouth, I don’t even have any idea what Mark sees in him.”

  
Lucas’ ears perk up at the mention of his best friend’s name. “Mark? As in Mark Lee? My best bro, my homie, my dude Mark Lee?” Renjun nods and something clicks inside Lucas’ brain. “Hold on, the Donghyuck I met a while ago is the 'freshman Donghyuck' that Mark has been gushing about since the start of classes?”

  
“Well, yeah. I guess so, if there are no more Mark's in this university.”

  
“Oh!” Lucas suddenly says, pumping his fist on the air. “Mark Tuan, a Senior in the Political Science Department. He’s the most famous ‘Mark’ here then my bro dude Mark Lee comes at second place.”

  
Rolling his eyes was the only response Renjun gave Lucas before throwing him a damp towel and proceeds to clean the remaining mess. It’s already 10 AM and the younger has already missed 2 of his classes. It’s not like they’re doing something important today, but still it makes him antsy, knowing that he rarely skips classes. He doesn’t notice the worried glances Lucas was throwing at him, and he wasn’t fully aware that he has been scrubbing a spotless area on the wooden floor.

  
“Are you okay? You don’t look good.”

  
Renjun snaps from his trance, “Huh? Oh. Uh, yeah. Fine. I’m fine.”

  
“Don't think so.” Lucas snatches the damp towel Renjun was holding and he gives him a wide smile. “I don’t know your class schedule but I’m guessing you still have classes this morning. So, you’re actually free to go. I’m sorry for keeping you hostage in here.”

  
“It’s fine, really. I’m supposed to be the one apologizing for making this mess.”

  
“I can finish this one on my own now. Thank you for helping me though, Renjun.”

  
“Injun.” He whispers, not looking straight into Lucas’ direction. “You can call me Injun.”

  
“Okay,” Lucas acknowledges, somehow liking the crimson red appear on both sides of Renjun’s cheeks. “Injun. See you later, maybe?”

  
Renjun leaves after some time and Lucas has never felt so weak – like the air in his lungs was punched right out of him. His face, and his ears and down to his neck were scalding. He knows this too well. He knows what’s causing him this and it’s because of a certain Chinese boy named Huang Renjun.

 

•

 

“ _Lee Donghyuck_ ,” Renjun shrills, shaking Donghyuck’s shoulders in a very aggressive way. “Thank you so fucking much, you’re the bestest friend anyone could ever ask.” Donghyuck agrees almost immediately. If it weren’t for the fact that Renjun was flying over to the moon he would’ve slapped the tanned-skin’s head so hard it would snap.

  
“Hello, heathens.” Jaemin, one of their best friends, places his tray on the table and watches the two of them in amusement. “Ah, Injun! I haven’t seen you earlier. Where were you?”

  
Before Renjun could answer, Donghyuck swoops in the conversation. “The plan actually fucking worked. Can you believe it?”

  
Jaemin chokes on his own saliva, gaping at his two best friends like they’ve grown another pair of head. “Holy shit. Lucas finally got to notice your gremlin existence!”

  
“Call me that again and I’m not gonna hesitate to chokehold you.” Renjun threats, and he knows it’s no use when Jaemin smiles at him wickedly.

  
“Call you what? A gremlin?” As if on cue, Jaemin stands up, dashing his way out of Renjun’s vicinity. A groan leaves Donghyuck’s mouth, he grabs Renjun’s wrist and makes him sit down. “Thanks, Hyuck. Knew you’re the only bitch I trust in this group.”

  
“Can we please focus on Renjun’s developing love life? There is an actual progress in here, my fellas.”

  
“Glad to know that you find my love life entertaining.” Renjun frowns, more likely towards Donghyuck.

  
Well, you see, everything was just planned. Courtesy of Jaemin’s stupid ideas and Donghyuck’s mastery of persuasion, they managed to make him agree on to whatever they were scheming that most probably involves making his life miserable.

  
It started during their first day when the Arts & Crafts Committee decided to tour them around the building, and they somehow ended up at the Arts Laboratory. That was when Renjun noticed a particular tall boy who probably could pass as a model with his height. Big rounded eyes, and plump lips. Well-defined jaw and toned muscles, despite being covered in their crappy uniform. His nose and entire face structure were sculpted by God himself, Renjun could affirm that one.

  
“Do you have hots for Qian Kun? Sorry to burst your bubble but he’s already taken by Doyoung.” Jaemin whispered, and it sent chills on Renjun’s spine.

  
He smacked him straight on the forehead, earning a snicker from Donghyuck. “Not him, you dipshit. _Him_. That guy at the corner.”

  
Jaemin scanned the entire room before his eyes land on the one his friend has been gawking the entire time. “Oh, fuck. Nice. He is _nice_.”

  
That same day, during lunch break at the cafeteria – Jaemin proposed his plan on ‘seducing’ Renjun’s crush which ended up Renjun choking the shit out of Jaemin and Donghyuck laughing at his best friend’s misery.

  
“You can hide at the storage room, or I don’t know stay in the cupboard.” Jaemin implied, shrugging nonchalantly as if shoving yourself inside a small cupboard is such a normal thing to do.

  
“Why the fuck would I stay inside the cupboard?”

  
“If he opens the storage room, he’d immediately see you. That’s anti-climatic.” Donghyuck added, and Jaemin gives him a two thumbs up in his direction.

  
“How fucking sure are you he’s going to check the cupboards? What if I end up suffocating and die?” Renjun might be overreacting but he’s being reasonable. He actually wouldn’t risk his life just for a stupid infatuation.

  
“Oh, Injun.” Jaemin purrs, patting his cheeks playfully. “Bold of you to assume that I don’t check any miscalculations beforehand when I make plans like this.”

  
“I swear Na Jaemin, this better work out.”

  
And miraculously, it actually did.

  
“So now, my fellow gay best friend, what’s next?” Donghyuck asks, he had his elbow on the table, propping up his chin.

  
Renjun is slowly growing conscious under their heavy gazes. He didn’t really have any plans afterwards. Like, okay he just followed what his friends told him because he wanted Lucas to notice him, but that was basically it for him. The end game, he thinks.

  
His best friends must have noticed his reluctance to answer, so they smiled in understanding.

  
“Look, we’re not pressuring you to make another move. You’re charming as hell, Injun. He’ll probably come to you in no time.” Jaemin winks at him, ruffling his hair.

 

•

 

That ‘no time’ came in about a week or so, when his class had the opportunity to use the Art Laboratory for their performance tasks. He knows he should be elated, his happiness should be skyrocketing its way outside the planet, but he doesn’t feel it. There’s a gnawing feeling inside his stomach that he finds very disturbing. At first he thought it was just the Yakult he drank this morning, but it’s not. Years of drinking Yakult, he never had this weird lurches, so there must be something wrong.

  
He sees Lucas sauntering his way over to where he’s currently seated at. It takes every fiber of Renjun not to panic and just calm down, relax. It’s just a fucking boy, for Pete’s sake. He peers over the short boy, and watches him as he starts to paint the tomatoes placed at the front. “You know, Kun asked me about those cans of paint missing on the shelves. The ones that were spilled on Donghyuck?”

  
“Shit.” _Ah, so this is why he knows something was up._ Miscalculations, my ass – Jaemin is definitely gonna get some beating after this. “Did you rat me out? I mean, it’s fine if you did I don’t really blame you. But fuck, oh my god was he furious? Should I drop out of college already?”

  
“You’re cute, you know that?" Lucas laughs a little, admiring how adorable Renjun looked while rambling. The poor boy almost gasps for air, but decided not to embarrass himself. So, he breathes in deeply before staring straight into the taller boy’s eyes. “But I’m not going to betray you like that in one condition.”

  
“What is it?”

  
“Go on a date with me?”

  
Renjun undoubtedly and positively thinks that he’s going to die at the young age of 19 because of Wong Yukhei. 

  
His cheeks are flaring red right now, just like the colors of the tomatoes he’s trying so hard to paint. He lowers his head in attempt to hide his face from Lucas. The most logical thing he could do is probably laugh at it because Lucas must be joking, right? This is some kind of a sick prank. Yeah, that’s it. “Nice joke. Could’ve fucking fooled me, Lucas.”

  
“Renjun,” Lucas places his hand on top of Renjun’s and hell was about to break loose. “I’m serious.”

  
“Oh.” His breath hitches. This is too much. Way too much. “Let me think about it.”

The cafeteria is sort of peaceful during this time of the day since it was still quarter to 3, and majority of the students still have on-going classes. Luckily for Renjun, his professor decided to cancel his class and call it a day.

  
Turns out, luck wasn’t on his side after all.

  
“Hey, Huang Renjun.” Upon hearing that voice, his head snaps up to see Qian Kun, standing right in front of him – glint on his eyes like he knows what Renjun was hiding.

  
“Hello, Kun gege!” He greets, waving his small and _maybe_ shaking hand.

  
“Can you meet me at the Arts Laboratory later this 4 PM? There’s just something I need to tell you.” The weird tormenting feeling inside his stomach is back again, and all he could do is nod frantically as if to agree with Kun’s favor even though he he doesn't really want to.

 

“Fucking hell, Renjun! What on Earth are you doing inside the cupboard again?” Lucas almost slams the cupboard doors to close it, taken aback with how easily Renjun can fit inside the cupboard like he’s meant to be there. 

 

“You told Kun gege, didn’t you?” It wasn’t meant to be asked in an accusing way, but Renjun is too stressed with this. Jaemin’s literally rich, he can seek for financial aid just to buy the missing cans of paint since it was his idea after all.

  
“What?! No! I wouldn’t do that to you.” Lucas exclaims, a look of bewilderment evident on his face.

  
“Then why did he asked me to meet him here?” Renjun asks, utterly troubled.

  
“I don’t know, he didn’t even tell me.” He shrugs, not really knowing what to say just to comfort or calm the poor boy down.

  
“Lucas, I’m in deep trouble, am I?” Lucas wanted to reach out, smother him with kisses and tell him that Kun’s not really going to kick his ass and make him drop out of college. But he restrains himself.

  
“No, you’re not just–“

  
A door opens and then softly it closes, he could hear shuffling noises outside the storage room and he certainly knows who is it.

  
“Lucas? Are you here?” Kun’s voice resonated around the room and he can feel Renjun hold his breath, afraid that Kun might figure out he’s here.

  
“Yeah! Hold on, just give me a moment.” Lucas shouts back, grasping Renjun’s hand as he runs his fingers across his knuckles over and over again to make sure that it’s okay. “I’m gonna talk to him, okay?”

  
He leaves the storage room, and went to his designated area where Kun is currently standing.

  
“Kun gege! What brings you here?” Lucas tries to be enthusiastic, tries to plaster a smile that doesn’t seem genuine, but he couldn’t care less.

  
“Has Renjun dropped by here? I was supposed to meet him here today.”

  
“Nope, haven’t seen him. Why? Do you have something to tell him?” He mentally curses at himself for being so damn obvious. “They still booked this lab the entire week so I’ll probably see him tomorrow.”

  
Kun beams at him. “Oh, that’s great. Can you just relay the message and tell him that the Committee chose him to represent all the 1st year Arts Major for the Arts & Crafts Day. Sicheng might need his contact information so just tell him go drop by the office this week.”

  
“Damn, that’s huge. Is that all?”

  
He pauses for a moment, squinting his eyes to think of some information he might have missed. “Hm…yeah. That’s all. Pease, tell him. I have to go, Doyoung’s waiting outside for me.”

  
“Stop rubbing it in my face that I’m single and you’re not.” Lucas teases, making silly faces at Kun.

  
“Not for long, my child. Not for long.” Kun winks at him before going out the room. And now Lucas is left staring at the door, smiling to himself. He breaks out from his daydreams when he heard the door from the storage room creaks open. He sees Renjun poking his head out, making sure that the coast is clear.

  
“You probably heard it, right?”

  
“Did…did he really mean it? Am I really gonna represent the entire 1st year students?” He asks, perplexed. Lucas nods in response and Renjun eyes him skeptically. “What the actual fuck. Why me?”

  
“Well, if you aren’t aware, you’re talented. That’s why." He answers like it’s the most natural, most obvious thing in the world. “So, about our deal.”

  
“What deal?” Renjun asks, tilting his head in confusion. He plods his way towards Lucas who doesn’t even notice that he’s already standing in front of him because he’s busy groaning and babbling incoherent words.

  
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about it already? After I haven’t thrown you under the bus, this is what I get? This isn’t f–“

  
And as much as Renjun despises cliché antics, he tiptoes to ‘supposedly’ place a soft peck on the corner of Lucas’ lips, but yeah, his height isn’t very cooperative, he ended up placing his kiss on Lucas’ jaw and bumping his nose on his chest. “Shit, that hurts but okay.”

  
“Huh?” It’s as if the wires inside Lucas’ brain stopped working, a short circuit might have happened because he just stands there, unmoving.

  
“I mean, okay I’m gonna go on a date with you.”

 

 

 

(“So, did your plan work?” Kun asks, while Sicheng looks at him expectantly. “This better be good, Lucas or I’m gonna let you pay for all those wasted paint your boyfriend threw on his friend.”

  
“He’s not my boyfriend!”

  
“Yet.” Sicheng scoffs, throwing a crumpled paper on his face. “Come on, tell us. Did your plan work?”

  
“Yeah. It did.”)

**Author's Note:**

> my twt: [ @actornjm ](https://www.twitter.com/actornjm)  
> pls be my friend and send me prompts to write hehe! <3


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